Method for production of a counterfeit-proof packaging and packaging produced by this method

ABSTRACT

A method for production of a tamper-proof packaging (V), is disclosed whereby recesses ( 3 ) are formed in a formed strip for accommodating a product for packaging and at least one security mark is applied to the packaging. The at least one security mark is applied before the forming of the recesses ( 3 ) to a region of the blank wherein the formed strip remains largely unchanged during the forming of the recesses.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a U.S. national phase patent application filed under35 U.S.C. §371 of International Application No. PCT/CH2005/000212filedApr. 15, 2005.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a method for producing a counterfeit-proofpackaging in which cups for accommodating a product to be packaged areformed in a blank and in which at least one security label is affixed tothe packaging, and a packaging produced by this method.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The problem of counterfeiting of original goods and pirating ofcopyright-protected products has moved to a larger and larger scale inrecent years and become a concern for the most varied industries,including the pharmaceutical industry.

The counterfeiting of drugs and the trade in counterfeit medicines havedeveloped into a serious problem for world health. Counterfeit medicinesfrequently contain too little active ingredient or none at all, and manyof the purported medicines are stretched with foreign substances, posinga danger to the lives of patients.

Further, the manufacturers of original products, who must factor thecosts of research and technical know-how into the selling price of theirproducts, suffer substantial economic harm through counterfeiting.

Many efforts have heretofore been made to find remedies to the problemof product counterfeiting.

Thus for example there are known packagings for medicines, such as forexample tablets, lozenges, capsules or suppositories (hereinafterdesignated as pharmaceutical products for short), that are provided onthe outside with a sealing film having holograms, the sealing filmserving to seal the containers in which the pharmaceutical products aredisposed. Holograms are held to be good security features because theyare difficult to counterfeit.

The disadvantage here is that when the hologram is affixed to theoutside of the sealing film, the hologram is subjected to severemechanical and thermal loads in the packaging operation.

It is therefore an object of the invention to identify a method forproducing counterfeit-proof packagings that does not exhibit theaforesaid disadvantage.

This object is achieved with the method of producing a counterfeit-proofpackaging of the present invention wherein, before forming of the cupsin the blank for accommodating a product to be packaged, at least onesecurity label is fastened in a region of the blank that remains atleast almost undeformed in the forming of the cups. Further embodimentsof the invention as well as a packaging are identified below.

The method according to the invention has the advantage thatcomparatively mild requirements are placed on the resistance of thesecurity labels to the action of forces and that it is more efficientthan the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In what follows, exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained ingreater detail with reference to the Drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a blank for a packaging in the raw state;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the blank of FIG. 1 after the affixing of alongitudinally disposed hologram strip;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the disposition of FIG. 2, now provided withdrawn cups;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the disposition of FIG. 3 with filled and sealedcups;

FIG. 5 is a section along line A-B of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a disposition similar to that in FIG. 4 havingtransversely disposed hologram strips; and

FIG. 7 is a section along line C-D of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 to 4 depict a packaging for pharmaceutical products aftervarious steps of the production method according to the invention (FIGS.1 to 3) and of the subsequent filling and sealing operation and arenumbered in correspondence with the temporal sequence of the processingoperation.

FIG. 1 is a top view of a flat blank 1 of a packaging in the raw state,as it exists before the production method according to the invention. Inthe raw state, the top and the bottom (not illustrated) of blank 1exhibit a planar surface.

For simplicity of illustration, blank 1 in the exemplary embodimentsdepicted comprises only one film.

It is pointed out, however, that blank 1 in which cups 3 are formed inthe production method according to the invention can comprise aplurality of components bonded together into the blank.

Thus the blank can for example be a film system that comprises aplurality of films disposed one over another in plies.

The blank is for example a film system made up of a base film and aprotective film affixed on the base film, a barrier film possibly beingaffixed in turn on the protective film in order to protect the productto be packaged against water vapor and oxygen.

A variety of materials can be considered for blank 1 or for the films ofthe blank, such as for example aluminum or plastics such as for examplepolyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinyl chloride-polyvinylidene chloride(PVC-PVDC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) and/or combinations thereof, materials havingPVC-PVDC being highly suitable for the barrier film.

The first step in the method according to the invention is to affix atleast one security label provided to enhance the counterfeit-proofcharacter, for example in the form of a hologram strip 4, to one placeor in one region of blank 1 that remains at least largely undeformed inthe subsequent forming of cups 3.

It is particularly advantageous to fasten hologram strip 4 in a regionthat remains at least largely undeformed in the subsequent forming ofcups 3 because the forces and, if applicable, the elevated temperatures(for example in the deep drawing of blank 1 in order to form cups 3 byhot deformation) associated with the forming of cups 3 are relativelyslight there, and thus hologram strip 4 is subjected to relativelylittle force loading or thermal loading there.

It is pointed out that not only hologram strips 4 but in principle allknown security labels such as are employed to enhance thecounterfeit-proof character of products in danger of being counterfeited(such as banknotes, credit cards or the like) can be considered for useas security labels.

It is conceivable for example to employ as security label a pearl-lusterstrip that reflects light within a certain color range when tiltedrelative to a light source.

The security labels should be difficult for an unauthorized party tocopy and should bear information that confirms to an acceptor that thepackaged products are “original goods.” In this connection, as a rule,“original goods” means that the products originate with a maker dulylegitimized or authorized to produce them.

In the case of hologram strip 4, this information comprises for examplethe company name of the legitimate producer, which is visible in colorsthat change in dependence on the viewing angle.

It is pointed out that the hologram can be present not only in stripform but in any other geometrical form.

It is further pointed out that, if the blank is a film system thatcomprises a plurality of films disposed one over another in plies, thesecurity label can also be disposed between two films. Here, however, itmust be guaranteed that the security label is visible from outside afteraffixing, which can be achieved through the use of transparent films.

FIG. 2 depicts blank 1 after hologram strip 4, which extends centrallyand in longitudinal direction 1 on the top of blank 1, has been affixed.The affixing of hologram strip 4 to blank 1 can be effected by knownbonding techniques such as for example gluing or hot contact methods.

In a step subsequent to the affixing of hologram strip 4 to blank 1,cups 3 are formed in blank 1, which cups serve to accommodate products,which are for example pharmaceutical products.

It is pointed out that the production method according to the inventionis also suitable for producing packagings for other, nonpharmaceuticalproducts such as batteries, printer cartridges or the like.

FIG. 3 depicts blank 1 after the forming of cups 3, which aredepressions in blank 1 disposed a distance apart from one another.

Cups 3 can also be produced for example through the use of a knowncold-drawing method, blank 1 being deformed by pressure at roomtemperature.

In the example depicted in FIG. 3, cups 3 are disposed in two rows ofcups 3 in the longitudinal direction, one row beside the other and toeither side of hologram strip 4, each row having three cups 3.

It is pointed out that hologram strips 4 can also be affixed in regionsof blank 1 other than that depicted in the exemplary embodiments. Thusit is conceivable for example to dispose the hologram strips near edges6 of blank 1, for example parallel to edges 6. What is important for theproduction method according to the invention is that cups 3 are sopositioned and formed in blank 1 that those regions of blank 1 in whichthe security label(s) have been affixed remain undeformed.

After the forming of cups 3, cups 3 are next filled with the products.In a further step, cups 3 are sealed with a sealing film 2 in knownfashion.

FIG. 4 illustrates packaging V filled with capsules 5 and sealed.

FIG. 5 depicts a section transverse to the longitudinal extent of blank1, through cups 3 filled with capsules 5 and fashioned as depressions inblank 1, cups 3 standing out from the side of blank 1 on which hologramstrip 4 is located.

It is pointed out that hologram strip 4 can also be affixed on theopposite side of blank 1 (that is, on the side on which the openings ofcups 3 issue). According to the invention, hologram 4 is affixed beforethe forming of cups 3 in this case as well. Further, care should betaken in this case that cups 3 remain visible from outside even afterthe sealing foil has been affixed. This can be achieved for example bysizing the sealing foil so that it does not cover hologram strip 4 aftersealing.

FIG. 6 depicts a further possibility for disposing hologram strips 4 onblank 1 in a region that remains at least nearly undeformed in theforming of cups 3. Hologram strips 4 now run transversely to thelongitudinal extent of blank 1, centrally between adjacent cups 3, onthe side of blank 1 from which cups 3 stand out. Aside from thedifferent disposition of hologram strips 4, packaging V′ according toFIG. 6 coincides in structure and production method with packaging Vaccording to FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 depicts a section in the longitudinal direction of blank 1through cups 3, fashioned as depressions in blank 1, of one of the rowsof cups.

1. A method for producing a counterfeit-proof packaging in which cupsfor accommodating a product to be packaged are formed in a blank and inwhich at least one security label is affixed to the packaging, wherein,before the forming of the cups, the at least one security label isfastened in a region of the blank that remains at least almostundeformed in the forming.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the atleast one security label comprises a hologram and is fashioned as ahologram strip.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least onesecurity label is disposed adjacent one of the edges of the blank andthe blank is left free of cups in the region of the at least onesecurity label, the at least one security label being in strip form andbeing disposed parallel to the adjacent edge.
 4. The method of claim 2,wherein cups are disposed in rows of cups running one beside another,each of the rows comprising a plurality of cups disposed at least almoston a line, and wherein the at least one security label is disposedbetween and/or beside the rows of cups, and is fashioned in strip formdisposed parallel to the rows of cups.
 5. A counterfeit-proof packagingproduced by the method of claim
 1. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein theat least one security label is disposed adjacent one of the edges of theblank and the blank is left free of cups in the region of the at leastone security label, the at least one security label being in strip formand being disposed parallel to the adjacent edge.
 7. The method of claim1, wherein cups are disposed in rows of cups running one beside another,each of the rows comprising a plurality of cups disposed at least almoston a line, and wherein the at least one security label is disposedbetween and/or beside the rows of cups, and is fashioned in strip formdisposed parallel to the rows of cups.